Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of therapeutic arch supports for feet, and more particularly to a therapeutic arch support having an arch curve being flexibly adjustable during use and a method of using the arch support.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior arch supports provide flexible cushioning material for support of an arch of a foot. Typical prior art insole supports have provided pliable cushion pads that can be utilized to build up the cushioning materials of a shoe insole for support of an arch. An adjustable arch support is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,985, issued to DeMarchi, which discloses a sport boot that contains a sole overlaid by an upper boot having an internal support surface for the foot. Within the sport boot is a supporting structure that includes a flexible, elastically deformable series of upper tongues that extend upwards against the internal sidewall of the sport boot, and includes a deformable series of lower support blades that extend downwards toward the internal support surface of the sport boot. A central control blade is adjustable laterally with a control screw built into the base of the sport boot. The lateral movement of the central control blade adjusts the arch support provided in the horizontal direction to adapt the support blades against the arch of the user""s foot. The control screw requires adjustment with a screw driver or similar tool while the sport boot sole is stationary to allow horizontal adjustment of the central control blade, thereby limiting the adjustment of the arch support to unweighted situations between strides by a wearer of the sport boot. The control blades are required to be installed as a unit into a specially designed sport boot having the required adjustment screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,153, issued to Fisher et al., discloses an insole for relieving bottom of heel pain by providing a pliable contoured insole with upwardly curved arch and a depression for the heel of the foot. The curved arch support is offered in a non-adjustable height.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,528, issued to Skinner et al., discloses a cushion insole including a separate arch support member which can be replaced as a unit with similar arch support members of various sizes to conform to the arch of the user. The arch support member can be moved forward or backwards and is required to be replaced as a unit with the cushion insole removed from the shoe of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,157, issued to Boisvert, et al., discloses an adjustable shoe insole having superimposed layers of flexible pad materials such as leather and/or cork that are stacked for height adjustment of the arch support. The height of the arch area is adjusted by adding or removing of flexible pad materials when the insole is removed from the shoe and/or the foot is removed from the shoe and not contacting the insole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,329, issued to Herbig, discloses an adjustable arch support having an interior arch member that is adjustable horizontally with an adjusting screw. The interior arch member is only moved as a unit and the curvature of the arch curve is not altered during horizontal movement. The arch support is inserted into a shoe as a unit and requires a hollow area to accommodate the adjusting screw which is turned by an adjusting tool while the shoe is stationary and unweighted.
The prior adjustable arch supports only provide arch adjustments that are generally lateral movements of members controlled by adjusting screws that require significant modifications to enclosing shoes or supporting sports boots. Therefore, there is a need for an improved adjustable arch orthotic providing therapeutic support of the longitudinal arch of a foot, with the medial longitudinal arch curve of the orthotic being intrinsically self-adjusting in height during each weighted and unweighted cycle during walking or running. There is another need for providing a method of treatment using an orthosis having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curvature that is selectively adjustable in height and slope by the user of the orthosis under a physician""s direction for treatment of heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tendinitis, and/or metatarsalgia. An additional need is to provide an orthotic having repetitively adjustable height and slope of the medial longitudinal arch curve, with the height and slope of the arch curve being extrinsically adjustable by user manipulation of a tensioning means connecting to the underside of the arch curve for therapeutic strengthening of the arch and foot to prevent recurrence of arch and foot pain.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch curve orthotic for therapeutic support of the arch of the foot and that is removably insertable in any appropriately sized shoe and/or boot of a user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arch curve orthotic for therapeutic support of the arch of the foot and that is removably placable in and/or on an appropriately sized sandal of a user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arch curve orthosis having an inherently and repetitively adjustable arch curve height of the orthosis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable orthosis providing rigid support for the forefoot and heel areas of the foot, and providing adjustable slopes of the anterior and posterior curves of the arch region of the orthosis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a removably insertable orthotic having a medial longitudinal arch curvature that adjusts in height with each step taken by the user of the orthosis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an orthosis having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curvature that is selectively adjustable in height and slope by the user of the orthosis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of utilizing an orthosis having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curvature that supports the arch of the foot to prevent the arch from collapsing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for treatment of inflamation and pain in the feet by applying an orthosis having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curve that is selectively adjustable in height and slope by the user of the orthosis applied against the foot or feet of the user.
Other subjects and advantages will be accomplished by the present invention which comprises an improved arch support orthosis including an arch curvature being self-adjustable during use, the arch support orthosis being fittable underneath the foot and being sized and shaped to be removably placed proximal a foot supporting surface of a shoe of a user. The arch support orthosis is sized for support of the foot from about the metatarsal bones of the foot to about the calcaneus bone of the foot, with the orthosis including a first or upper surface having a plurality of contours for support of the foot. The orthosis includes a second surface being downwardly faced for contact with the supporting surface of the shoe. The orthosis further includes a medial portion and a lateral portion on opposed sides of a medial longitudinal arch curve of the orthosis being sized to be removably placed underneath the medial longitudinal arch of the foot of a user.
The forefoot portion of the orthosis is shaped to be positionable underneath the metatarsal bones of the foot. The heel portion of the orthosis is shaped to be positionable underneath the calcaneus bone of the foot. The medial portion of the first or upper surface of the orthosis is shaped to be positionable underneath the arch of the foot, with the medial longitudinal arch curve being generally convex in curvature. The arch curve includes an anterior slope that is inclined at the leading portion of the arch curve and descends toward the forefoot portion of the orthosis. The arch curve includes a posterior slope that is inclined at the trailing portion of the arch curve and descends at an angle toward the heel portion to accommodate the angle of declination of the calcaneus heel bone. The arch curve includes a medial slope being oriented proximate the upper surface of the arch curve, with the medial slope inclined toward the longitudinal axis or midline of the orthosis. The arch curve further includes a plurality of extensions along the medial longitudinal arch curve, with the plurality of extensions being separated by a plurality of incisions along the upper surface of the medial longitudinal arch curve. The plurality of incisions originate along the interior side of the arch curve, and each of the plurality of incisions extend a distance along the arch curve toward the central midline of the orthotic and along the central arch slope of the orthosis. The plurality of incisions are generally transverse to the longitudinal axis or midline of the orthosis, and each incision terminates along the central arch slope of the orthosis.
During use, the plurality of extensions are forced together during each foot-strike by the force imposed by the foot of the user during normal transfer of force from the heel portion of the foot on the orthosis, and onto the arch curve of the orthosis, thereby collapsing the height of the arch curve until the width between the plurality of extensions is diminished and the plurality of extensions contact each other. Each of the plurality of extensions flexibly rebounds to the unweighted position by force being transferred off of the arch curve when the weight of the user is transferred onto the forefoot portion of the orthosis during a normal walking and/or running gait by the user wearing the orthosis. Therefore, the self-adjustable upper surface of the medial longitudinal arch curve flexibly supports a user""s arch during unweighted use, and rigidly supports the user""s arch at a certain height during each application of weight onto the medial longitudinal arch curve of the orthosis, providing therapeutic support of the user""s arch depending on the application of force onto the orthosis by the user.
The plurality of incisions can be cuts through the upper surface of the arch curve with a distance between each extension of about 1 mm to about 2 mm in width. The arch curve can be additionally supported underneath with a removably positioned rigid support member being extended generally underneath the arch curve and parallel to the central axis or midline of the orthosis. The rigid support member can be selected from the group including a rigid bar, and/or a tensioned spring, and/or a two-piece cable having a central adjustable sleeve nut. The cable and adjustable sleeve nut can provide the ability for the user to adjust the tension and rigidity of the cable attached underneath the arch curve, thereby adjusting the anterior angle of the anterior slope, and the posterior angle of the posterior slope of the arch curve of the orthosis which provides for therapeutic treatment of foot conditions such as heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tendinitis associated with the tarsal bones, and/or metatarsalgia. The orthosis arch support having the self-adjustable arch curve can be formed to fit underneath either the right or left arch of the user""s feet, and can be quickly removed and placed in any pair of shoes that the user wears, including dress shoes, casual shoes, athletic shoes, ski boots, and/or in sandals.
The present invention additionally discloses a method of treatment of inflamation and pain in the foot by application of an orthosis having an adjustable medial longitudinal arch curve, the method including selectively and periodically adjusting the height and slope of the arch curve by a user of the orthosis by manipulating a tensioning means associated with the orthosis for therapeutic support and strengthening of the user""s arch to relieve inflamation associated with the plantar fascia and tendons of the foot.